Texas Almanac 2012–2013

Elizabeth Cruce Alvarez

Publication Year: 2011

First published in 1857, the Texas Almanac has a long history of chronicling the Lone Star State and its residents. The Almanac's 66th edition is printed in full color and includes hundreds of photographs from every region of the state. Color maps of the state and each of its 254 counties show relief, major and minor roads, waterways, parks, and other attractions. Each county map is accompanied by a profile outlining that county's history, physical features, recreation, population, and economy.

Special features in the 66th Edition include: • An article on the birth of the Austin music scene and the influence on it by legendary musician Willie Nelson, written by Nelson biographer Joe Nick Patoski. The Austin music scene is recognized worldwide through Austin City Limits, the longest running music program on American television. • A history of the Civil War in Texas to mark the 150th year since the beginning of that conflict. Composed by Texana writer Mike Cox, the article highlights the unique aspects of the war in Texas, such as the Great Hanging at Gainesville and the Battle of Palmito Ranch. • Newly released 2010 population figures. • A complete history of voter turnout in Texas going back to 1866. • A history of professional football in Texas. • Comprehensive lists of high school football and basketball championships, Texas Olympians, and Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductees.

The Texas Almanac 2012–2013 includes articles and data about: • history and government • population and demographics • the natural environment • sports and recreation • business and transportation • oil and minerals • agriculture • science and health • education • culture and the arts • obituaries of notable Texans • pronunciation guide to town and county names

Cover

Title Page, Copyright

Preface

We first want to thank Willie Nelson for his kindness in allowing us to use his likeness on the cover. Our
friend Carl Cornelius, mayor of Carl’s Corner and friend of Willie’s, served as a go-between, arranging the
permission for us to use Willie’s image on the cover. We thank both Willie and Carl for their enthusiasm for this
project. ...

Enduring Icons That Are Part of Texas

Nelson’s music has been the soundtrack
to my life, beginning with memories of my
uncles sitting around our living room in the
1950s playing and singing “Hello Walls,” and
continuing through my college days in Austin
in the 1970s with the rise of redneck rock
and outlaw country, both of which Nelson
instigated. ...

Table of Contents

State Profile

State Flags and Symbols

The following information about historic Texas
flags, the current flag, and other Texas symbols may
be supplemented by information from the Texas State
Library & Archives in Austin. (On the web: www.
texasalmanac.com/topics/flags-symbols and www.
tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/index.html#flags) ...

History

In a reflective mood, on Aug. 30, 1914,
W.D. McDonald wrote a long letter to
the Trenton Tribune, his old hometown
newspaper in Fannin County. He noted it had
been 54 years that month since his honorable
discharge from Company C, First U.S. Cavalry,
and 52 years since he enlisted in the Confederate
Army to fight against some of the same men
with whom he had once chased hostile Indians. ...

Environment

Texas occupies about 7 percent of the total water
and land area of the United States. Second in size
among the states, Texas has a land and water area
of 268,596 square miles, as compared with Alaska’s
665,384 square miles, according to the United States
Bureau of the Census. California, the third-largest
state, has 163,695 square miles. ...

Weather

March 25: With hail ranging from quarter to teacup
size, a thunderstorm pummeled the Austin area.
In Austin’s history, the top three most destructive hailstorms
have occurred on March 25 (1993, 2005, 2009).
This storm, the most costly, was estimated at $160 million
in damage. ...

Calendar

The subsequent calendars were calculated principally
from data on the U.S. Naval Observatory’s
website (http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO) and from its
publications Astronomical Phenomena for 2012 and
Astronomical Phenomena for 2013. ...

Sports

The University Interscholastic League, which governs
literary and athletic competition among schools in
Texas, was organized in 1910 as a division of the University
of Texas extension service. Initially, it sponsored
forensic competition. ...

Counties

These pages describe Texas’ 254 counties and hundreds
of towns. Descriptions are based on reports from
chambers of commerce, the Texas Cooperative Extension,
federal and state agencies, the New Handbook of
Texas and other sources. Consult the index for other
county information. ...

Population

The population of Texas on April 1, 2010, was
25,145,561 according to the U.S. Census, an increase
of 4,293,741 persons from the 2000 census. That new
count makes it the second largest state after California,
which has a popultion of 37,253, 956. ...

Election

An overwhelming Republican majority influenced
by the grassroots tea party movement dominated the
82nd Legislature, resulting in a no tax-increase budget
with record spending cuts and a conservative social issues
agenda. ...

Government

Richard Ellis, president of the convention, appointed
a committee of five to write the declaration
for submission to the convention. However,
there is much evidence that George C. Childress,
one of the members, wrote the document with little or no help from the other members. Childress
is therefore generally accepted as the author. ...

Health and Science

Heart disease and cancer remained the major
causes of death in 2008, the latest year for which statistical
breakdowns were available from the Bureau of
Vital Statistics, Department of State Health Services. ...

Education

Enrollment in Texas public schools reached a peak
of 4,933,617 students in 2010–2011, according to the
Texas Education Agency. That is an increase of almost
338,675 students over the last four years; enrollment
was 4,594,942 in 2006–2007. ...

Business

The Texas economy, which joined the nation in recession
in fiscal 2009, began adding jobs again at the
beginning of fiscal 2010. Recovery from the nation’s
worst recession since World War II has been lukewarm
compared to other economic recoveries. ...

Transportation

Texans drove more than 21.5 million motor vehicles
in 2010 over 300,000 miles of roadways, including
city- and county-maintained roads. That driving
is calculated to have included more than 464 million
miles driven daily on the 192,000 miles of state-maintained
highways alone. ...

Agriculture

The number and nature of farms have changed over
time. The number of farms in Texas has decreased from
420,000 in 1940 to 247,500 in 2010, with an average
size of 527 acres. Average value per farm of all farm
assets, including land and buildings, has increased from
$20,100 in 1950 to $816,646 in 2009. ...

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